New this year with the introduction of the FX Cruiser® SHO and FX® SHO models is the supercharged Yamaha Super High Output marine engine, the largest displacement motor ever to power a personal watercraft.

In the case of the SHO engine, there is no replacement for displacement.  This 1.8 liter, 1812cc power plant produces industry-leading torque and performance that matches the industry’s quickest race-ready two-passenger watercraft.  It is also the first engine from Yamaha to feature an intercooler and supercharger.

The Yamaha SHO engine is a marvel of design – for all of its mass, it is approximately 45 pounds lighter than the 1500cc motors that power Sea-Doo’s and Kawasaki’s best-performing models.

This achievement did not go unnoticed by the editors of Popular Science® magazine who named the Yamaha FX Cruiser SHO “Best of What’s New” in the recreational product category.

Even with its hefty power, the new SHO engine is much quieter than comparable models.  It is also three-star rated, which signifies ultra-low emissions and is the highest rating today for a personal watercraft engine.  And best of all for Yamaha owners, the new SHO engine is the only high-performance engine today optimized to run on regular unleaded fuel.

One of the best benefits of the SHO engine design is its capability to use electronic throttle controls.  Electronic throttle is much more responsive than mechanical cable throttles used by the other PWC manufacturers and it allowed Yamaha to introduce its new Cruise Assist™ and No Wake Mode™ features. 

Yamaha's exclusive Cruise Assist is the first system that allows the driver to set and hold a particular engine speed while maintaining a comfortable throttle position.  Once set, the driver can increase or decrease the engine speed in increments of 250 RPMs with the simple push of a button - a real benefit when towing a wakeboarder or extending a long day of cruising.  When the throttle is disengaged, the system shuts off.  Yamaha's No Wake Mode regulates RPMs for the optimal speed (approximately 5 mph) to efficiently navigate through no wake zones. All new for the PWC industry, these two features deliver a level of comfort and convenience never seen before in a PWC.

Yamaha continues to impress the boating industry and the world with its design proficiency. The SHO engine sums up Yamaha’s ideals and manufacturing goals: The most advanced, most efficient, most user-friendly, and most economical engine out there, produced by the most consumer-driven and progressive watercraft company in the industry.